OILING THE SEA.

Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 75, 9 February 1877, Page 2

OILING THE SEA.

The utility of throwing oil on tlie sen for the purpose of reducing its roushne^ is a subject which has often been discussed. The possibility of saving a ship from bein£ disabled or even wrecked by such .1 simple contrivance seems at first sight to be preposterous. According to facts which have been recorded, it does, however, appear reasonable to suppose that it might be useful under certain circumstances. There is a popular imnressinn tint in order to obtain so desirable a result n largo quantify of oi! is neecs-nry, This however, is not the case, a,-* a f'M'v small portion will spread itself over a great ! extent of water. This covering prevents

t't' 1 wind from entering under the surface, :»?!'! thii^Hy jjre?»f Jy minces the roushness of the on, and possibly the height of the wavi-s. t ho crests of which are tbn.* prevent nl From breaking, which Is one of the prir.ripnl psihsps o f injury. The cook's slu^h or !h,> v.-asto frni a disused oil barrel, or n little roil f:>r thrown overbold li^s caused n rmi-li sea to become renmkahly smooth. S V franklin records that in Newport HnrW, Uuih'd Sl.-ifes. the sea wns aln-ars smoother when there were any whaling; vessels n*, anchor in it, through the waste of blubber and oil from them. It should however, be remembered that were there is a number of ships at anchor, the sea \s generally less rough than it would be without them. When the bilge water from oil- laden ships in the Ceylon trade is pumped into the scuppers, the roughness caused by a gale subsides immediately, and knowing this, some intelligent masters especially when near the Cape of Good Hope, always resort to the pumps of such ships previous to having some heavy weather. Indeed, vr'-ien running in a gale oil is sometimes thrown from vessels in the Newfoundland and Labrador trade to keep the sea from breaking over them. They can run much longer with this assistance than without it. About ten gallons in 2-1 hours bas been found sufficient, The oil spreads to windw.ird nearly as fast as to leeward. When leakage has occurred in the topsides of a ship, or when she has lost her rudder, and it becomes necessary to lower a man into the water, a pint, or even half a pint, of oil has made it sufficiently smooth forhim to work where otherwise it would Lava been impossible. All these facts do not demonstrate the possibility of saving a ship from being disabled or wrecked. la 1867, a master stated, in the New York Shipping List, that he had been at sea twenty»eight years, and master for ten years, and that he had saved the vessel under his command twice by oiling the sea. He says, when a ship is disabled and cannot get out of a storm, and the master bas t.i make the best of the gale, if he has oil on board, he should start two or t ree gallons over the side. This will make smooth water io windward, and then oil allowed to run drop by drop is all that is required. The ship is in smooth water as long as the oil is allowed to run. In 18 51, in the heaviest gale of wind he ever saw he lost all sails and then the rudder, and knew the vessel could not have ridden the sea for an hour longer if be bad no.fc Ind some oil. Fire gallons listed fifty* si-<*liours, and this saved the vessel, cargo, and lives, ile recommended that ships of he ivy tonnige si*, ii l i have t.vo iron tanks of t'wrty gallons iuc!>, one on each side, with the faucets so arranged tbat the oil can be starred at any time, info small vessels, ten-gallon casks, and in all ships' bouts tanks of five gallons each, well filled, so that in case the ship founders or burns, the boats will have oil to smooth the sea !in w ga'e. — The Joi'rpal of Applied ' Seicnre.